The Official *England's Passage to Paris 2016* Thread

[FootballLight]

First topic message reminder :

Sorry 24, I'm thinking of the World Cup again.

[compelling and rich]

What is the point of this match, the players have recently finished their season and gone on holiday so anything more than a dire performance would be a shock.

qualifiers after this, so should be more than enough motivation. let alone all that nonsense they tell us how proud they are of representing their country

[Hammersmith harrier]

We have the might of Slovenia to get past in a game we can lose and still know we're assured of qualification.

[compelling and rich]

so we should just relax and lose and dont care? nor should we be trying to improve the team and the way we play during a period where you have nothing else to concentrate on

[Hammersmith harrier]

My point is C & R that the close season is not the time to be attempting any of that, when players are sharp during the season is the time.

[compelling and rich]

half the team gets withdraw by there clubs during the season and manager gets at best a week to work with, these lot should be sharp. didn't seem to effect barcelona and juve players last night

[GSC]

They're professionals last time I checked, they should be able to manage 180 minutes.

[mystiroakey]

Well yes we do need this game, they are showing us they need some match practise. Slovenia away isn't a given. I don't care if we are already hypothetically garranteed qualification . I want a win.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Why isn't Austin being given a game ffs

[mystiroakey]

half the team gets withdraw by there clubs during the season and manager gets at best a week to work with, these lot should be sharp. didn't seem to effect barcelona and juve players last night

The players in the CL final haven't been on a two week holiday.

[Hammersmith harrier]

half the team gets withdraw by there clubs during the season and manager gets at best a week to work with, these lot should be sharp. didn't seem to effect barcelona and juve players last night

You cannot be serious with that comparison, that was a competitive game between two teams whose season had not finished, the seasons of 90% of these players finished two weeks ago, pointless and meaningless game.

[GSC]

James Vardy is playing for England.

Might be the lowest point in our history

[compelling and rich]

no international games are pointless, how are we supposed to improve with a short sighted view like that

[mystiroakey]

James Vardy is playing for England.

Might be the lowest point in our history

Not in the lowest 1000

[Hammersmith harrier]

We're not going to improve and games against ROI or Slovenia aren't the ones to do it, whether we look good or bad against these teams makes no difference when the step up come next year.

[mystiroakey]

We're not going to improve and games against ROI or Slovenia aren't the ones to do it, whether we look good or bad against these teams makes no difference when the step up come next year.

Keeping the ranking/seeding up is quite important. So that's the practicality of it. Secondly they need time to get used to each other. Yeah we may bomb out of France 2016. But playing these games can not make it worse.

[compelling and rich]

it makes no difference because were sh!t, because end of season/mid season/start of season we always play this rubbish football. we should be trying to evolve this team to something that might actually be able to put up a fight in the tournaments. games against ireland and slovenia are the perfect opportunity to do it because you aint going to do it in a major competition

[GSC]

Ah good, its time for the 10 minute Andros Townsend cameo where he randomly manages to do something positive and secures his place in the next 10 England squads.

[mystiroakey]

He does luv his andros

[Hammersmith harrier]

it makes no difference because were sh!t, because end of season/mid season/start of season we always play this rubbish football. we should be trying to evolve this team to something that might actually be able to put up a fight in the tournaments. games against ireland and slovenia are the perfect opportunity to do it because you aint going to do it in a major competition

Exactly and we're more crap than usual at this time of year, the nature of English football means the players are spent, until we focus on a more continental style it's always going to be the case.

[GSC]

Roy is probably creaming himself at the thought of Welbeck and Vardy up front together.

[mystiroakey]

Roy is probably creaming himself at the thought of Welbeck and Vardy up front together.

Probally more so by Rooney and Kane , but ok.

[GSC]

Theres 90 minutes of my life I'll never get back

[mystiroakey]

True that.

[GSC]

Scholes summed it nicely

"a waste of an afternoon"

[mystiroakey]

I bet Scholes has some really great afternoons. I bet his BBQ parties are the best ever.. His personality is just so engaging..

[Duty281]

As expected, nothing much was learnt. Pointless game.

Rooney - Oh god, that first touch.
Wilshere - The best player on the pitch. Must have scored at least a 5.5/10!
Townsend - Er...some nice touches. You know, every now and then.
Lallana - I'm told he was playing. Clearly not in this game though.
Roy - Excellent suit, as ever.

Next week? Oh who cares, England have already qualified. The U21s are of far greater importance this month.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

Milner is a depressing footballer when your team has control of a game. Lallana and Milner were both worse than Rooney, and thats really saying something.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Milner is a depressing footballer when your team has control of a game. Lallana and Milner were both worse than Rooney, and thats really saying something.

Not really surprising we lacked creativity with Henderson and Milner being our two most advanced midfielders (enjoy that next season Liverpool)

[Dolphin Ziggler]

I'm not the biggest Townsend fan, but he at least plays without fear for England. He needs to leave Spurs though.

[NickisBHAFC]

Choosing to spend the day drinking in the sun watching cricket at hove instead of wasting my afternoon watching this pointless game 

[Duty281]

Theo might be starting today in place of Sterling.

Theo!

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Phil Jones over Clyne at right back

[Duty281]

England XI: 1 Hart 2 Jones 3 Gibbs 4 Henderson 5 Cahill 6 Smalling 7 Wilshere 8 Delph 9 Sterling 10 Rooney (c) 11 Townsend

I'm not enthused to be honest. Jones starting? Delph?!

I suppose, at least, Townsend has been rewarded for some decent form for his country off the bench.

[sportform]

I think it is time for Roy Hodgson to go. If he insists on playing Phil Jones at right back ahead of Clyne then he has learnt nothing as England manager.

No exactly thrilled with Wilshere or Sterling in the team either. Wilshere has hardly played all season yet seems guaranteed for the England team (again nothing learned from previous failures) and Sterling has hardly been is great form without Suarez playing alongside him.

Ashley Young has been better than Sterling this season.

[Duty281]

Ashley Young was injured for this squad.

[NickisBHAFC]

50 million for Sterling

[sportform]

Sterling misses a sitter in the opening few minutes. Good job he's one of the new 'undroppables'.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

Yet Wilshere was easily England's best player last week. And Sterling is clearly one of England's better players. There's something to be said for players just sliding into the squad, but you can't automatically drop players from the team cos of club form or you'd never get any consistency in the line up.

[jbeadlesbigrighthand]

No exactly thrilled with Wilshere or Sterling in the team either.

At least at their best they are competent footballers. Can you say the same for Kieran Gibbs? He must be the most one footed player in the world. If he touches the ball more than five times with his right foot in this entire game, I'll be amazed.

[Hammersmith harrier]

Wilshere really is showing Henderson up here and he did last week too.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Wilshere really is showing Henderson up here and he did last week too.

I'm not really a fan of this "play our only midfielder who can pass at DM" tactic

[Hammersmith harrier]

The deep lying playmaker is a tried and tested tactic now Olly, it's the way football has evolved in the past decade and England are finally following suit.

[NickisBHAFC]

Lovely play by Delph there. My word though what a save that is!

[sportform]

Not sure we need three in midfield. I would take Delph off, leave Wilshere and Henderson in midfield, bring on Walcott, Austin or Vardy up front, and drop Rooney back into the deeper, number 10 role.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

There is a difference between that role and Wilshere's game. But as we only have Carrick who can do it to a high level then I kinda agree it has to be Wilshere. Problem is he doesn't always have the discipline

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

The deep lying playmaker is a tried and tested tactic now Olly, it's the way football has evolved in the past decade and England are finally following suit.

I agree, but needs to be complimented by other midfielders who can actually create and pass as well...otherwise it's all a bit pointless

[Hammersmith harrier]

Ideally it would be Carrick in the deep role with Wilshere further up the pitch with Delph but it's lesser of two evils really, far rather him than Henderson as the pivot.

[sportform]

Wilshere really is showing Henderson up here and he did last week too.

When exactly? Vs Ireland? Henderson beat Wilshere in every stat - passes, key passes, ball retention. Unlike what Hodgson suggested... It seems Henderson is playing the deeper role and Wilshere is further forward.

[Hammersmith harrier]

The deep lying playmaker is a tried and tested tactic now Olly, it's the way football has evolved in the past decade and England are finally following suit.

I agree, but needs to be complimented by other midfielders who can actually create and pass as well...otherwise it's all a bit pointless

As good as Gerrard and Lampard were the continued faith in them as a midfield two has set us back tactically about ten years and we're now slowly coming in line with the rest of the footballing super powers.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Wilshere really is showing Henderson up here and he did last week too.

When exactly? Vs Ireland? Henderson beat Wilshere in every stat - passes, key passes, ball retention. Unlike what Hodgson suggested... It seems Henderson is playing the deeper role and Wilshere is further forward.

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